East Bengal 2-1 Bengaluru FC: Red and Gold Brigade close out year on a high as Cleiton Silva nets stunning late winner

Cleiton Silva was the host of the late, late show for East Bengal as they registered a 2-1 win over Bengaluru FC in their ISL 2022-23 meeting on Friday, December 30.

Both teams began the game at the Salt Lake Stadium well, often canceling each other out in midfield. Pablo Perez dictated terms early on for the Blues, while Jordan O'Doherty did the same for the Red and Gold Brigade.

However, there was space out wide for both teams to exploit in the opening 10 minutes. Neither team could really take advantage of the same, often being let down by a poor first touch or an overhit pass.

Roy Krishna eventually got the first shot on target of the game midway through the half after being slipped through by Javi Hernandez. His effort was straight at Suvam Sen, who saved fairly comfortably. Bengaluru still won a corner from that passage of play, with Sunil Chhetri's header being blocked by Mobashir Rahman.

East Bengal had quite a few half-chances, with O'Doherty and Rahman playing their part in getting the ball out to wide areas. Naorem Mahesh Singh and VP Suhair both whipped in some dangerous crosses, but they weren't attacked in the center and Bengaluru cleared.

The Blues looked at their best from individual brilliance and set-pieces as the half went on, often lacking a creative spark from the middle. Krishna even turned Ivan Gonzalez on the right wing and raced into the box. However, he chose to fire a low-percentage shot into the side netting rather than cross it with three teammates waiting.

East Bengal, meanwhile, continued to grow into the game and took the lead in the 39th minute in fortuitous fashion.

Mahesh played a delightful crossfield pass from the left wing to Suhair in acres of space on the right. The latter's first touch was poor, but he got the ball to the by-line inside the box. Just as he tried to roll it back, the ball struck the arm of a diving Naorem Roshan Singh and the referee immediately pointed to the spot.

Cleiton Silva stepped up and sent Gurpreet Singh Sandhu the wrong way to score his and East Bengal's second goal against Bengaluru this season.

The Blues tried to respond with more crosses into the box in the final stages of the first half, but the hosts held on to take the lead into the break.

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Bengaluru FC equalize, but Cleiton Silva secures all three points for East Bengal with incredible free-kick

Bengaluru FC started the second half with a little more urgency. They also got the first shot on target of the half just two minutes after the break as Pablo Perez set up Roy Krishna, who fired an effort straight at Suvam Sen.

East Bengal struggled to stem the visitors' growing confidence and in the 55th minute, the Blues were level. Javi Hernandez released Krishna down the right and the Fijian took it past Ivan Gonzalez before cutting it back. Hernandez made up the ground to get into the box and guided the ball home to make it 1-1.

The Red and Gold Brigade seemed a little shaken up by the goal as they struggled for fluency. Bengaluru, meanwhile, continued to move the ball well without threatening the hosts' goal.

They got a good chance to go ahead when Hernandez seemingly sent Sunil Chhetri through on goal. Chhetri got in between two East Bengal defenders, but Sen was quickly off his line to clear the ball before the Indian skipper could get his shot away.

The Blues got another chance shortly after as the Red and Gold Brigade failed to clear a corner adequately. It came out to Rohit Kumar, who fired a half volley at goal, but Sen did well to palm it behind for a corner.

Against the run of play, East Bengal then got a gilt-edged chance on the counter as Alex Lima found Cleiton Silva through on goal. However, the forward couldn't add to his tally and scuffed his right-footed shot wide of the far-post.

At the other end, Sen came up with another good save to keep the hosts in the game. Bengaluru substitutes Danish Farooq and Udanta Singh combined before the latter sent a cross into the box for another substitute in Sivasakthi Narayan. He got the shot away, but Sen blocked it out for a corner with a superb reflex save.

East Bengal got one final chance in the dying embers of the game as the Blues conceded a free-kick a few yards outside their area. Cleiton Silva stepped up and sent an absolute pearler into the top corner past an outstretched Gurpreet Singh Sandhu in the second minute of injury time to seal the win.

It was an anticlimactic end to a truly entertaining second half that was dominated by Bengaluru as the Red and Gold Brigade secured all three points. With the win, they moved to eighth in the ISL 2022-23 standings, just two behind seventh-placed Chennaiyin FC. The Blues, meanwhile, are ninth in the table.